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MoS Launched ‘SARAL SIMS’ To Ease Steel Import Registration Process

In November 2025, the Ministry of Steel (MoS) launched ‘SARAL SIMS’, a new registration process under the Steel Import Monitoring System (SIMS).

  • This new initiative is designed to streamline import procedures, particularly benefitting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), startups, and small importers and export-linked imports.
  • As per MoS, all norms related to new SARAL SIMS and restructured regular SIMS process came into effect from November 21, 2025.

Exam Hints:

  • What? Launch of SARAL SIMS
  • Launched by: MoS
  • Objective: To simplify the registration for steel importers under SIMS
  • Conditions for Small Imports: Consignment, less than or equal to 10 MT, annual cap of 1,000 MT
  • Came into Effect From: November 21, 2025
  • Key Changes in Regular SIMS Framework:
    • Reduce the mandatory data fields in the registration from 56 to 20;
    • Remove the requirement of obtaining a NOC certificate from MoS

Key Features:

Eligible Items: This newly launched initiative is applicable to steel and iron items falling under Chapters 72, 73, and 86 of the Indian Trade Classification, ITC (Harmonized System, HS) 2022 classification system.

Web Portal: The interested importers can now access the new facility through a dedicated web portal (www.sims.steel.gov.in/SARAL), where they are required to declare only the total intended import quantity for the year.

  • Based on this information, they will get a SARAL SIMS number, which can be used for multiple consignments for the year.

SARAL SIMS for Small Imports: It includes the imports of small consignments, which is less than or equal to 10 Metric Tonnes (MT) subject to annual threshold limit of 1,000 MT.

  • As per MoS, for the Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26), the SARAL SIMS for small imports is capped at 500 MT for a period up to April 2026.
  • While, annual cap of 1,000 MT will be applicable from next financial year i.e. FY27.

SARAL SIMS for Export Purposes: It is applicable to imports under Advanced Authorization, Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and Export Oriented Units (EOUs) schemes.

  • MoS introduced no annual threshold, offering greater operational flexibility.

Mandatory Annual Returns: It is now mandatory for all importers registered under SARAL SIMS to submit annual returns by providing the details of actual import made against SARAL SIMS registrations generated in a particular financial year by 30th April of the next financial year.

Exceed Import Limits: MoS has clarified that in cases, where imports exceed the annual threshold, then, they will be required to generate regular SIMS registration for subsequent imports for the remaining time period of the financial year and SARAL SIMS cannot be reused for that particular financial year.

Relaxation in Existing Framework: Apart from the launch of new SARAL SIMS, MoS has relaxed the regular SIMS framework like: reducing  the number of mandatory data fields in the registration from 56 to 20;

  • Removing the requirement of obtaining a MoS clarification or No Objection Certificate (NoC) for Non-Quality Control Order (QCO) steel grades.

About Ministry of Steel (MoS):
Union Minister- H.D. Kumaraswamy (Constituency- Mandya, Karnataka)
Minister of State (MoS)- Bhupathiraju Srinivisa Varma (Constituency- Narsapuram, Andhra Pradesh, AP)





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